Bladder Campion

Bladder Campion (Silene inflata) is a traditional Italian foraged green known as stridolo, prized for its tender young shoots and mildly bitter, herby flavour. The plant forms low rosettes of blue-green leaves before sending up branching stems with distinctive inflated, bladder-like calyces bearing white flowers. It thrives in cool conditions and tolerates light frost, making it well suited to extended harvesting. An unsung hero of the edible garden, it self-seeds freely once established.

Growing

Direct sow seeds onto the surface of well-prepared soil or cover lightly to 0.5 cm once soil temperature reaches 5 °C. Thin or transplant seedlings to 20 cm apart. For an earlier start, sow into modules indoors when temperatures are stable and transplant out once nights remain above 2 °C. Successive sowings extend the harvest season.

Care

Water moderately and consistently; the plant tolerates dry spells but tender shoots develop best with even moisture. No supplemental feeding is needed in reasonably fertile soil, though a balanced liquid feed can encourage lush leafy growth. Remove flower stems promptly if a sustained leaf harvest is the goal, or allow a few plants to set seed for self-sowing.

Harvest

Harvest young shoot tips and leaves once plants reach 10–15 cm, pinching 5–8 cm of the growing tip. Repeated picking stimulates further side-shoot production. Leaves are most tender before the plant bolts; once flowering begins the texture becomes tougher and the flavour stronger. Harvest regularly to extend the productive window.

In the kitchen

Use raw in salads for a mildly bitter, slightly aromatic note, or cook briefly like spinach — wilted in butter, stirred into risotto, or folded into frittata and omelettes. In Italian country cooking stridolo is a classic addition to risotto con stridoli. Young flower buds are also edible and make an attractive garnish.

Storing

Store freshly picked shoots loosely wrapped in a damp cloth or paper in the refrigerator crisper drawer for up to three days. Use as fresh as possible for the best flavour and texture. The leaves do not freeze well; harvest little and often rather than storing in bulk.